May 8, 2012

A quick Italian-American pasta dish with shrimp, tomatoes, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic, basil and capers. The name of this dish says it all, Fra Diavolo, Italian for "Brother Devil" because of the heat from the crushed red pepper flakes. It's easy to make and comes together in about 30 minutes total so it's perfect for a busy week night, you can easily halve it to make less. My husband is a basil lover, but fresh parsley works great in it's place and of course, you can adjust the heat to your taste.

If you are watching your carbs, this is great over spaghetti squash or even a bowl of lightly steamed vegetables. If you are on a gluten-free diet, I love Tinkyada brown rice pasta, it's the closest thing to wheat pasta in my opinion, I even buy it and I have no issues with gluten. I actually prefer the taste to whole wheat pasta.

While the water is heating up, heat 2 teaspoons of the olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and cook until golden, about one minute. Add the shrimp and cook 2-3 minutes to brown but not cook through; sprinkle with salt to taste.

Transfer the shrimp to a plate, leaving garlic in the pan.

Add pasta to water and cook according to package directions for al dente.

Pour the remaining teaspoon of olive oil and add the celery and onions; cook 2 minutes then add the crushed tomatoes, season with salt and crushed red pepper and bring to a simmer.

Lower the heat and let it simmer about 8-10 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook another minute or two; remove from heat. Add the capers and serve in a large bowl over pasta topped with fresh basil, fresh black pepper and parmesan cheese on the side.

Shrimp weight after peeled is approx 1-1/2 lbs and was calculated as such.

Oh that does look good. I'd love to know how much shrimp costs in the US. Here in the UK (where we call them prawns)2lbs would cost me about £18 which is about $29. I wish they were cheaper -I'd eat them every day.

I'm a little confused, Gina.... You measure 12 oz of dry pasta before you cook it, do you than measure out 2 oz of cooked pasta per serving? I'm trying to figure out what the cooked equivalence of 2 oz of dry pasta is..... thanks!! Love your website!!

It is because of you (and my BFF calling me lazy) that caused me to plant my own herb garden rather than buy the herbs! Alot of your dishes have a fresh herb or two in it. This is fabulous and I am glad I have the fresh herbs on hand to make it! Thanks Gina.

Hello! is it possible to make the sauce in a large batch and then freeze it for later use? i live alone so it would be more efficient for me that way (: thanks in advance!The pictures in this recipe look totally mouthwatering... I can't wait til i actually get to cook this :D

So this is the third time I've made a recipe of yours (mushroom stroganoff and orange, red onion, gorgonzola, argugula salad) and good god woman, I think it's fair to say that I would eat and love everything you've ever posted! All three recipes that I've made have been SO. YUMMY. My boyfriend raved about all three. I sent him a link and told him he can feel free to cook me anything on this website. I'm in the middle of week 3 of a newer, healthier lifestyle, and this website has been an amazing tool. I can't wait to work through so many more of your recipes. Thank you.

There are very few things that make me feel as accomplished as successfully cooking a good meal and I have to say that your website is my resource! I made this last night and very rarely does my dish actually look like the picture on the recipes but this one is a mirror image and man was it delish!! It is, by far, on my top 5 of best recipes I've made yet from your site and it will be in heavy rotation :) Thank you so much for sharing your talent with the world! And especially with my kitchen! :) -Stephanie

I omitted the olive oil and used cooking spray. Used ten cloves of garlic, doubled the red pepper and used half cup of sliced basil. Added a half cup of wine. We like things spicy! Really delicious with whole wheat linguine and a healthy tossed salas.